Bowlers come up trumps

BOWLERS were trumps at Read Park, where 25 overs and a tricky deck were all that Caloundra needed to remove a despondent Thunder for just 54, a total inflated by the majority contribution from the last two wickets.

The Lighthouse bowlers begged for the ball as the home side spiralled to 3-10, then 8-26, but Darren Smith, Craig Fletcher and Mike Thomson turned the pending disaster into mere misfortune with 28 priceless runs as Scott Gardiner deposited 4-8 to his season’s account.

Caloundra had no easy time of it either, as Craig Fletcher’s continued resistance demonstrated his Yorkshire grit, and with Bob McGhee chiming in, the 3-26 result had the fielders a little less resigned.

Then the only innings of substance for the day flowed from the bat of Lighthouse skipper Cam Muir, whose lone dig of 74 saw his team to the lead and an eventual 8-138.

For Tewantin, McGhee’s 3-47 raised his wicket tally to 29 for the season, positioning him as the leading light in a close field that has been frustrated by the lack of opportunity to shine in bowling heaven.

At Maroochydore, the Hinterland Hawks were without the normal opening pairing of Ashley Renouf and Shane Cashen as the Swans batted on Ron McMullin Oval, and were anticipating the 4.30pm departure of Tim Hardingham, off to Alice Springs for the Imparja Cup.

Matt Bruton was promoted to the new ball spot, and celebrated by trapping Bryan Haggarty in front for six with Steve Bemrose inserting himself at the other end after 10 overs to break the vital Paul Henricks-Shane Rynne combination at 42. The hard yards were now ahead for Maroochydore on a field where the boundary may as well have been in another postcode, but on a wicket dry and white from not having seen the sun all month.

Joel Couacaud stepped up on his return to the grade to stifle an already stagnant innings with 1-10 off nine overs as Rynne’s nine found mates in the scores of Grant Martyn and Mark Henricks.

Now the Swans will wake next Saturday to find out if 5-62 is too few on a good day, or money in the bank in the wet.

The tale was repeated at the Showgrounds, where Nambour struggled to 4-97 off the 39 overs played, with Steve Ledger’s 44 invaluable. As with Maroochydore, the Cutters can’t afford a loss, or possibly even a draw if the Gold prevail, so decisions on time and total will be crucial come Saturday.